Cobb public safety director writes scathing resignation letter

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Frustration, sadness, anger. The man in charge of police and fire in Cobb County said all those emotions played into his decision to resign, but he is not going quietly.

Cobb County Public Safety Director Jack Forsythe has tendered his resignation after less than a year on the job. In a scathing four-page letter to his immediate supervisor, county manager David Hankerson, Forsythe appears to blame Hankerson for a "crisis scenario" within the county's police department.

Forsythe told 11Alive's Duffie Dixon he felt his hands were tied at every turn.

Hankerson declined an on-camera interview, but county communications director Robert Quigley said the resignation was a surprise.

"I can't go into specifics of the letter, because that is his [Forsythe's] perspective, but we are addressing issues regarding the police department and will move forward," Quigley said.

The county plans to replace Forsythe with current Fire Chief Sam Heaton, who served in the position as a fill-in for two years before Cobb County hired Forsythe.